Lost Art Press

Let’s Go Dutch in Florida

Posted on by fitz
The interior of the upper bay of my Dutch tool chest…before it got beat-up from heavy use. I appear to have it stocked it for (surprise!) a class that involves dovetails.

I’m not sure yet how I’m getting there, but I’ll be in Tampa, Florida, Oct. 10-14, at the Florida School of Woodwork, teaching folks how to build a Dutch tool chest, soup to nut. Because it’s a week-long class, we should have time to not only install the hardware, but to fit out the interior (as shown above) and get the chests painted!

Andrew is prepping the pine for us now, and will then turn his attention to the battens (oak) and the interior bits (cherry).

There are a few spaces left – and I’d love to see you there…even if you choose to paint yours a color other than blue. (But I can’t imagine why you would!)

The exterior of mine – in its former pristine state.

And on my getting there: It’s always a series of mental gymnastics for me. If I fly, I can get there in about 5 hours door to door (including time spent getting to and milling around the airport). But it means I have to judiciously decide then pack my tools in a small Pelican case, and pray they make it with no damage (and with one exception in 15 years, they have). But I can’t bring my tool chest – and in thi case, it’s the very chest we’re making. If I drive, it’s about 13 hours door to door, and my back will hate me. But I’ll be able to bring everything I could possibly need – including the chest. And either way, I’ll miss cat.

– Fitz

p.s. Now that “Workshop Wound Care” is at the printer – and I’ve finally finished my last issue of The Chronicle for the Early American Industries Association – I can now concentrate (almost) fully on getting my Dutch tool chest book. (Ya know, along with editing whatever comes in next at LAP, writing blog entries, working on my house, making furniture etc.)

31 thoughts on “Let’s Go Dutch in Florida”

    1. Like that scene in the latest Batman movie where Catwoman put her cat in the motorcycle saddlebag and drove off into the sunset.

    1. I’m working on a book, as mentioned; there will be plans in it, of course. But I also wrote an article for Fine WW last year on the chest, and it’s in the Oct. 2013 issue of PopWood.

    2. irrc, 2 years ago when i built mine, i used Chris’ blog posts the pop wood article and found SketchUp plans in the public warehouse. i think Chris even made a set.

  4. I was wracking my brain for a minute there as to what the heck kind of tool that was between the small router plane and the small combo square…I imagine it’s pretty critical when you’re cutting dovetails though!

      1. I’m sure I’d be constantly irritated (and mess something up) by having it hanging in my face, but then again you’ve cut hundreds more dovetails than I have so you could probably do it blindfolded by now.

  5. “Shakespearean Insult Bandages” are a must-have in a tool chest. Nothing like resurrecting a late 16th Century curse to let people know you really mean business. 🙂

  6. Take everything, you’ll feel better about things when you get there. Get a couple of pillows for your back. It will feel better too.

  8. Offer a free seat in the class in exchange for a driver. That will let you stretch out in the back seat and you can spell the driver periodically.

    1. As if there would be room in the back seat…my car is a tip even in the best of times 🙂

    1. Me, too 😉 That’s hard maple, infused with polymer (and dye). Blue Spruce (no colorful ones are available now, though)

        1. Gosh I hope not!! That was because COVID supply chain problems meant it was taking 4-6 months to print. Here’s hoping we don’t have that experience again.

  10. I wish I could visit my sister in Tampa that week, but I’ll be in Indy the following 2 weeks doing glassblowing classes. I need a longer DTC class with you to actually finish/complete a DTC! Anyway, have fun once you get there!

  11. You mean the Dutch Tool Chest book is real?
    I had always assumed it was an LAP in house gag.
    Who’s existence was believed in by many but sightings were lost in the mists of mythology.

    2. Who’s existence was believed in by many but sightings were lost in the mists of mythology.

      That would be the LAP anthology of bird houses, avian domiciles for fancy lads.

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